Machine for dispensing spoons or like articles



Nov. 3, 1959 1.. DRISS ETAL 2,911,127

MACHINE FOR DISPENSING SPOONS OR LIKE ARTICLES Filed Sept. 5, i957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 3, 1959 L. DRISS ETAL 2,911,127

MACHINE FOR DISPENSING SPOONS 0R LIKE ARTICLES Filed Sept. 5, 1957 2 Sheets Sheet 2 III: I'

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United States Patent MACHINE FOR DISPENSING SPOONS OR I JKE ARTICLES Louis Driss, Chicago, and Earl Joy Kahn, Highland Park, 111,; said Kahn assignor to said Driss Application September '5, 1957, Serial No. 682,210 1 Claim. (Cl. 221258) With the increased interest in dispensing various food heated canned soup and the like, it becomes necessary :10 supply inexpensive throw-away spoons with each can of the soup or the like. Plastic spoons are admirable for this purpose but the problem has long existed of dispensing such spoons. Therefore an object of this invention is to provide a device which may be attached to or associated with a vending machine, which device will be electrically actuated when the vending machine is operated to dispense a spoon. In addition to spoons, forks and the like may also be dispensed.

Another object of this, invention is to provide a device in whichspoons or like articles are stacked one upon the other and the lowermost of such spoons or the like is dispensed from the device when the device is actuated.

Other objects will become appar'ent as this description progresses.

In thedrawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of this device.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the device operated to discharge the spoon.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 66 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the ledge or extension on which rests the rear of the handle of the lowermost spoon and in dotted lines the position of the actuating member when actuated to push the lowermost spoon oil the ledge.

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the actuating member for moving the lowermost spoon to release same.

The unit comprises a casing or housing generallyindicated at 10 and which has the front end open. The front end is closed by a removal cover 14 which has a suitable key lock 16 at the top thereof for suitably locking it to the housing as best shown in Figure 2. The bottom of the cover has an opening 18 in alignment with the end of the chute and through which the spoon is removed as will be described. The opposite side walls 19 and 20 of the housing 10 are each provided with a pair of bayonet slots 21 whereby the housing may be secured to suitable supporting means (not shown) on a food dispensing machine so that the spoons are delivered for use adjacent the dispensing machine. The spoons are Fatented Nov. 3, 1959 "ice made preferably of plastic although it will be understood that they may be made of other materials.

Secured inside the housing 10 to each of the side walls 19 and 20 is a pair of inverted L shaped horizontally extending rails 22 and 24 with their horizontal portions spaced from each other to define a track 26 therebetween to slidably receive the supporting; frame which supports the tier of spoons and the operating parts presently to be described."

The supporting frame includes a base 30 formed of a pair of vertically extending walls 31 and a cross or horizontal connecting wall 32 therebetween. The horizontal connecting wall 32 extends only a short distance of the length of the base and extends inwardly from thefront end. The rear of the base is'also provided with aicross or horizontal connecting wall 34. The lower ends of the vertical walls 31 of the base have outwardly turnedber 36 Which faces inwardly toward the front and which may fall by gravity through the open area.

Secured to one of the vertical walls 31 is a'bracket 44 is open at the top thereofi' A horizontal lip or ledge 38 is provided adjacent the bottom of the channel and on which the front portion of the lowermost spoon rests.

The connecting horizontal wall 32 is provided adjacent the rear thereof with an extension 40 having a rounded corner 41. The extension has a width greater than one half the width of the connecting wall 32 and provides with connecting wall an open area or recess 42. As will be explained, the rear of the handle of the lowermost spoon is adapted to rest on the extension 40 and is adapted to be moved by the actuating member sidewise from the extension 40 into the open area or recess 42 so that it and secured to the top of the connecting wall 32 is another bracket 46. Secured to said brackets 44 and 46 is a vertically extending L shaped channel member 48 which faces rearwardly toward the channel member 36 and which is also open at the top. The channel member 48 is positioned centrally of the width of channel member 36 and the bottom of the channel member 48 is in alignment to extend over the extension 40.

One of the side walls 49 of the channel member 48 extends to meet the extension 40 but the rear wall 50 and the other side wall 51 of the channel terminate short of the extension 40 to provide a spaced opening53 (Figure 2) of a height slightly greater than the thickness of the rear end of the handle of the spoon to permit the handle to be slid or moved sidewise into the open area or recess 42.

Horizontally secured on the connecting wall 32 is an electromagnet generally indicated at 55 which is positioned forwardly of the channel 48. The bottom sides of the electromagnet rest on spacing strips 56 to provide a space 57 between the bottom of the electromagnet and the connecting wall 32 to slidingly accommodate the actuating member generally indicated at 58 and best shown in Figure 8. The electromagnet 58 has a T shaped armature 60 to which is fixedly secured the upright portion 62 of the L shaped actuating member 58. The horizontal leg 63 of the actuating member 58 is provided with an extension 64 having an inclined front edge 65 and a right angled rear edge 66. The horizontal leg 63 of the actuating member 58 slides in the space 57 between the bottom of the electromagnet and the horizontal wall 32 and the edge 66 limits the return of the actuating member by its engagement with one of the spacing strips 56. The armature 60 of the electromagnet has spaced ears 68 which support a pin 69 to which is secured a coil spring best seen in Figures 2 and 3.

70,, the opposite end of which is attached to an L shaped bracket 72 secured to the horizontal connecting wall 32 on the base. The spring 70 tends to normally maintain the armature 60 of the .electromagnet and the actuating member 58 connected thereto in retracted position as shown in Figure 3. When in retracted position, the inclined edge 65 of the actuating member 58 is asshown in Figure 3 and is clear of spaced opening 53 under the channel member 48. When it is moved forwardly as in Figure 4, the front edge 65 moves into the spaced opening 53 under the channel member 48 and over the extension 40 to engage the rear handle of the spoon and to .pushthe handle of the spoon sidewise from the extension 40 to the open area 42 as shown in Figure 4, whence the front of the lowermost spoon disengages itself from the ledge 38 and falls away from the tier of spoons and on to. thechute as will be explained.

The conducting wire 74 to the .electrornagnet extends exteriorly of the housing and is connected to a suitable switch now shown which is in operative relation with the food dispensing machine so that when said food dispensing machine is operated, the ,electromagnetSS will be energized to move the armature 60 and actuating member 58 rearwardly or to the right as viewed in Figure 4, to release a spoon.

In the lower portion of the housing there is pro-- vided .an inclined plate 76 which forms a .chute, the front end of which engages the flange 77 in the bottom of the housing. The spoon S falling on the plate 76 will slide forwardly to the opening 18 in the front cover =14 from where it may be manually removed throughthe opening 18.

The frame may be slid out of the housing for loading the spoons. The spoons S are stacked one uponthe other facing downwardly with the front end of the spoons confined in the channel 36, and the rear ends of the handles of the spoons confined in the channel 48. The front lip of the lowermost spoon rests on the ledge 38 in channel 36 and the rear handle of the lowermost spoon rests on the extension '40 of the horizontal connecting wall 32 as When the electromagnet '55 is energized, the armature '60 will move the actuating member 58 inwardly or rearwardly as seen in Figure v4 and the i cl ned edge thereof wil engage the rea a die of the lowermost spoon to move the lowermost spoon sidewise at an angle as shown in Figure 4 in the direction of the wall 20 of the casing so that it is pushed oil? the extension and over the open space 42. This will cause the lowermost spoon 'to tilt down from the handle end and thereby disengage itself from the lip 38 and drop by, gravity into the chute formed by plate 76 where it slides down to be manually removed through the opening 18. When the electromagnet is deenergized, the armature 6t) and actuating member 58 are retracted and the next lowest spoon rests on the ledge 38 and extension 40 and is ready-for releaseupon the next actuation of the actuating member. This operation is repeated for each succeeding spoonl The device is foolproof and is very efiicient in operation. It is inexpensive to manufacture.

We claim:

A device for dispensing spoons comprising an upright holder for supporting a tier ,of spoons ina horizontal position, supporting means adjacent the. spoon front and the rear of :the handle of the lowermost spoon on which said lowermost .spoon rests, an actuating member positioned rearwardly of the handle end of the spoon and the rear supporting means, said actuating member having an inclined forward edge, electrically operated .means for sliding said actuating member forward in a straight line across the rear supporting means and substantially along the length of the spoon so that said inclined edge engages the rear end of the handle of said lowermost spoon to cause the rear ,of said lowermost spoon to be initially shifted to clear said handle supporting means ,and then drop .by gravity from said spoon front supporting means and bedispensed from-said device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 969,844 Clawson Sept. 13, 1910 2,141,684 Diemer Dec. 27, 1938 2,149,099 Phinney et al. 'Feb. 28, 1939 2,188,573 Longo Jan. 30, 1940 2,268,873 Hopkins et a1 Jan. 6, 1942 2,661,884 Lawrence et al. 'Dec.8,1953 

